Tibetan asks India to be strong on Arunachal

Shillong, Apr 05: Exiled Tibetan Parliamentarians today asked India to stand strong against China's claim over large tract of land in Arunachal Pradesh, which they termed bordering Tibet. ''They (China) have claimed Tibet. They are claiming Arunachal Pradesh as their territory and now they are poking their nose even inside Nepal,'' Tibetan Parliament in-exile member Dawa Tsering told UNI here. ''India should take a strong stand in the wake of these claims and protect its territory from Chinese invasion,'' he said.

Infact, the China's People Liberation Army had invaded India through Arunachal Pradesh in 1962 border war, when the Indian army got routed and Chinese sieged important towns of Arunachal, including Tawang. ''Tibet, an independent state in the roof top of the world does not have boundary with India. We are good neighbours and both nations knows its territories line,'' Mr Tsering said. Infact, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in June 2003 recognised Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as part of the territory of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Earlier, expressions used in bilateral agreements, included ''Tibet region of China'' (1954), ''Tibetan region is part of the People's Republic of China'' (1958), ''Tibet is an autonomous region of China'' (1988 and 1991).